Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
On April 28, 2020 (Updated October 25, 2023)
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This bacon wrapped chicken breast recipe is an amazing combination of flavor and texture. Grilling them makes the chicken juicy and the bacon crispy, so every bite is delicious!
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
Affordable, accessible, and super simple to prepare, chicken breasts are a staple dinner (or lunch) for most households. The only issues with chicken breasts is that they are very lean (so they dry out easily), and they are pretty bland on their own. Luckily, we have BACON! Here to solve both of the common problems that prevent us from eating delicious chicken breasts.
These bacon wrapped chicken breasts are seasoned with my Signature Sweet Rub (make it or buy a bottle) and wrapped in smoky bacon before hitting the grill. For that final kiss of flavor, I like to baste them with my favorite BBQ sauce and let the sugars in the sauce caramelize over the high heat.
Grilled Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
There is a definite method to grilling anything with bacon over a hot fire. Bacon has a lot of fat, and fat can cause flare ups on a grill if you’re not careful. The secret to getting this bacon wrapped chicken breast cooked perfectly on the grill is to use two-zone cooking. This means that you have the grill running at high heat on one side (with hot coals banked on one side, or only half of the burners on in a gas grill), and no heat on the other.
You will be cooking your chicken for a majority of the grilling process on the indirect, or no-heat side of your grill. This allows the bacon fat to render slowly without dripping directly into the flames. Then, when your chicken is almost cooked through, you can move it to the direct heat side of the grill to get the bacon nice and crispy. For another optional layer of flavor, you can glaze your chicken with BBQ sauce before moving it to the high heat side of the grill.
How to Cook Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
Here are a few tips to grill up perfectly juicy bacon wrapped chicken breasts, every single time. Don’t want direct heat because you’ll burn the sugars. Balance of heat. Cook over indirect.
- Two-Zone Cooking. Like I mentioned earlier, two-zone cooking will allow you to slowly cook the chicken through without burning the bacon or the sugar in the seasoning. Then, at the end, you can add on as much crispy char as you’d like without burning the exterior.
- Choose the Right Bacon. Not all bacon is created equal, and some is better for grilling than others. Don’t buy thick OR thin cut bacon for this recipe. Thick bacon will be hard to wrap and won’t render in time. Thin cut bacon will shrink too much and break apart on the grill. You want classic bacon with a good balance of meat and fat. I secure my bacon by tucking the ends under, but use toothpicks if you don’t think your bacon will stay secure on the grill.
- Use a Thermometer! Chicken is cooked through at 165 degrees F, but I like to pull my chicken off the grill between 158-160 degrees F. The carry-over cooking from the last few minutes at high heat will bring the chicken up to our target temperature of 165 without over cooking it and drying things out. A good instant read thermometer will be your best friend any time you’re grilling bacon wrapped chicken breasts.
- Rest your chicken. The carry-over cooking and settling of juices happens during the rest period, so don’t skip it. Give yourself a good 8-10 minutes after pulling your chicken off the grill before you slice it into medallions and serve.
Can You Make This Recipe in the Oven?
Absolutely! Obviously for oven cooking, you can’t utilize two zone cooking the same way you can on the grill. For oven cooking, I recommend placing the bacon wrapped chicken breasts on a foil-lined baking sheet and cooking in a 400 degree F oven for about 20-25 minutes (again, use a thermometer) until it is nearly done. At this point, you can baste with BBQ sauce if you’d like or just continue oven cooking until the chicken reaches 160 degrees F internal temperature. Remove from the oven and rest for 8-10 minutes.
More Chicken Breast Recipes
We don’t need to settle for dry, boring, or bland chicken breasts! Use one of these tasty chicken breast recipes the next time you’re firing up the grill or smoker.
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast Recipe
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
Video
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 12 slices bacon
- 2 Tablespoons Signature Sweet Rub
Instructions
- Fire up the grill! Preheat your grill for two-zone or indirect cooking at 400 degrees F.
- Season the chicken breast. Season the whole chicken breasts on all sides with my Signature Sweet Rub (recipe link in notes section).
- Wrap in bacon! Wrap each chicken breast in 3 pieces of bacon, overlapping each piece to secure. You can also use toothpicks to secure the bacon to ensure it doesn't come unwrapped on the grill.
- Grill the chicken over indirect heat. Place chicken directly on the grill grates over indirect heat. Close lid and cook for 20-25 minutes. Rotate them every 4-5 minutes per side.
- Crisp the bacon. Move the chicken breasts to the direct heat side of the grill and sear for 1-2 minutes per side, moving the chicken as needed to prevent flare-ups. Optional: baste the chicken with BBQ sauce before this step.
- Remove, rest, and serve. Remove the chicken from the grill once it reaches 160 degrees F internal temperature in the thickest part of the breast. Allow the chicken to rest uncovered for 8-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ok, so dumb question. On my pellet grill, do I set it to 400 and then put the bacon wrapped chicken off to one side away from the fire pot and then move them directly over the fire pot for the final (direct heat) time?
Wasn’t my favorite Hey Grill Hey recipe. The bacon didn’t completely cook through.
You need thinner bacon!
I made this today. It was delicious. Thank you for sharing the recipe for both chicken and spice rub.
Can this be done on a Traeger with same result
Yes!
This was a big hit with the family. I just did them up on my propane grill and they turned out great. Super easy too
Just made the recipe, turned out amazing
I love your recipes. I’ve tried a few and have not been disappointed!!!! You should have your own APP by now!
Try PrePear! I’m on that app!
Suzzie what was the total cook time for the chicken?
I’m going to try this as written and also try it with bacon I’ve rendered some the fat from. I’ll report the outcome.
Made these last night for our friend group from church. They all loved it! This recipe is a keeper. Go make it immediately!